


A game of Life and Death

by muddak



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:54:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muddak/pseuds/muddak
Summary: Ren gets transferred to Shujin, and while everything should play out as Igor predicted, he meets someone he was most likely never supposed to meet.This work is a retelling of Royal, mainly focussing on the new character. I'll summarize most of the existing dialouge so I can write more of my own crap. Please remember this is my first work and I am not a master writer, though I do still hope you enjoy it.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Quick Wit

**January 19th, 20XX**

After Sumire regained her strength and all the Phantom Thieves had awakened to their tier 3 persona, Ren decided that it was finally time to start infiltrating Maruki's palace. As usual, he gave out quick orders to the group, with Akechi, Sumire and Morgana following quickly behind him, while the rest of the group stayed farther away as to not draw attention. And, of course, an icy gaze fell over the group as they started their work. While the other Phantom Thieves were used to that by now, Ren and Sumire both felt a chill down their spine. Sumire was worried that someone was watching them, but Ren reassured her that it was alright, she didn't need to worry. However, while Sumire was simply catious, Ren was more so frightened, if not scared of the gaze. He felt it, it was out for blood. Even more than normal, hell, even more than Akechi. What caused it to change like this? What changed about... him?

**April 10th, 20XX**

"Hey kid, hurry it up, I have more things to do than waiting around for you," Sojiro shouted at Ren.

"Alright, my apologies, I simply wanted to get to know the school a little," Ren awnsered, with his thoughts spinning around in his head. 'Man, that principal looked like that weird blobfish from the kids tv channel,' Ren thought, 'And that teacher too, what was that flyer underneath my student ID. This is gonna be a long ye-'

"AAAH!" Ren fell to the ground, as he bumped into someone. He quickly opened his eyes to see that before him sat a silver-haired boy, with papers lying on the floor around him. "Oh, my sincerest apologies, I was lost in my own thoughts" Ren quickly said. "Here, let me help you pick up these papers."

While Ren went down on his knees, the boy spoke to him: "Heh, it seems like we had something in common there. Your own thoughts are so much more fascinating than the real world, right?" Ren looked up at the boy, who held out his arm to help him stand up. "My name is Shawn Hatasi," the boy said, "a third-year honor student here at Shujin, and vice president of the Student Council. And judging by your appearance, you are Ren Amamiya, the rumored delinquent that had to transfer here."

Ren looked puzzled, and asked: "But how do you know that? I thought the school was meant to keep that a secret."

Shawn shook his head. "Legally, yes, but the court cannot prove such a thing happened. For all we know, someone knows your situation and started spreading rumors, though I highly doubt that."

"Kid, I don't want to stand around here all day, finish your small talk so we can go home!" Sojiro yelled.

Ren turned around to help his fellow student pick up his papers, but he noticed that was not needed as he already collected it in his hands. "Well, sorry to cut this short," Ren bowed, "but I have to leave now. I suppose we will have to continue this later."

Shawn gave him a grin in return. "Listen Ren, should anyone or anything bother you, please, let me know. I want to understand your situation and help you through it," he said, with Ren being shocked about how honest that sounded. While they both turned around to continue their day, Ren heard Shawn mutter something under his breath, like he was mad at something. Ren wondered who or what that could be, but he didn't have time to think about it for long, as Sojiro dragged him along to the car.

**April 12th, 20XX**

Ren was still baffled by what happened yesterday. "A castle, King Kamoshida, and Persona?" Ren's mind couldn't settle down at all, it felt like his thoughts were overtaking every single cell in his body. He snapped back to reality when he heard the school bell.

When he moved out of his classroom, he saw Kamoshida talk, or rather yell, to a rather familiar silver-haired face.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, PHYSICAL ABUSE?! YOU HAVE NO EVIDENCE AND JUST WANT ME GONE FROM HERE! AND YOU ARE ALSO ACCUSING ME OF SEXUAL HARRASMENT, AND FORCING STUDENTS TO WORK FOR ME WHILE STAYING QUIET! SUCH BLASPHEMY! COME WITH ME TO THE P.E. FACULTY OFFICE RIGHT NOW!!" Kamoshida's yelling caused everyone to quickly run away from the hallway, while Shawn was leaning against the wall, eyes closed and listening to the words Kamoshida threw at him.

When he was done and wanted to walk away, Shawn gave him a sharp look and said: "Well, judging from your reaction, I'm not wrong, am I now?" Kamoshida looked back at the boy, and saw his smirk only growing, as Kamoshida almost raised his fist.

"The school rules cleary state violence of any sort, from both teacher and student, is forbidden under all circumstances. How ironic a student has to remind you of that, sir. Now then, if you will excuse me, I have something else to put my mind to." Shawn walked past the pervy teacher who had nothing but anger on his face.

"DON'T THINK YOUR HONOR STATUS CAN SAVE YOU FROM SUCH BEHAVIOR, HATASI!" Kamoshida yelled.

Shawn paid it no mind as he moved towards Ren, who was watching it in shock. Right before Shawn started talking, Ren's gears started grinding, and for a split second, he saw the King standing there, arrogant and pervy just like in the castle. "Heh, sorry about that." Shawn said to Ren while his mind phased back into reality. "You got time right now, right? We should continue our talk from last sunday."

"Oh, sure," Ren replied, "but this isn't the best place to talk though. I mean, it is empty here right now thanks to Mr. Kamoshida raising his voice, but I doubt that it will stay like this for long." Shawn nodded at his words, and gestured his hand towards the stairs. "Follow me."

"The rooftop? I thought this place was closed off for students?" Ren asked Shawn while he simply gave a little smirk in return.

"Well, that is where exceptions come into play. Both myself and another 3rd year have the keys to the rooftop." Shawn explained while he opened the door. "I'm allowed to use this place to study, which I requested last year. The other student has a little garden up here, but lets leave that be. That is not our business here." Shawn closed the door behind them while Ren leaned on the table.

A small silence was held between the two students, before Ren started talking. "Both you yourself and Kamoshida said you are an honor student, right? What did you do to earn such a status?"

Shawn looked at Ren and said: "Connections from my father. I mean, in terms of my grades, it would play out the same, but I was already entitled before my first official day here. It surely is convenient though." Ren looked at Shawn, and started to get confused. His statement was positive, and yet his face showed something along the lines of sadness. Shawn noticed it and quickly gave Ren a friendly smile.

"By the way," Shawn began, "I'm surprised you still call Kamoshida by his title of Mr, considering you know what kind of rotten human being he is."

Ren almost jumped in fear at this statement. 'How the hell does he know that,' Ren's mind started shifting into overdrive again, 'I never told him such a thing, and from how confident he sounds, he knows about the castle for sure.'

Shawn noticed Ren almost falling unconscious from the confusion in his head and quickly changed the topic: "Anyway, we were meant to continue our conversation from then, so, if you don't mind, could you tell me why you are standing here? I don't think criminal ties, drug smuggling and possession of weapons would simply end up in a transfer."

Ren almost laughed at his statement: "Wait, are those the rumors flying around? I have heard little of them myself since everyone tends to avoid me."

Shawn couldn't help but awnser with a goofy smirk on his face: "THE rumors? Hell no, those are just the most realistic ones I have heard so far. Some even state you killed your neighbour, robbed a bank on multiple occasions and that you are a loverboy."

Both teens broke into laughter, and Ren noticed that while he looked like a serious person, Shawn wasn't even all that bad to hang out with. When he thought that, time seemed to pause and a voice rang through his head.

_I am Thou, and Thou, Thou art I. Thou hast aquired a new bond._

_It shall become a vital part in thine path towards the end of times, revealing the secrets hidden in the stars._

_With the birth of the Knight Persona, I have obtained a shard of the truth and dread from your soul, and shall carry it with me, always..._

Ren's mind shifted back into reality where he continued laughing with Shawn for a good few minutes.

When they were done, Shawn got up from the metal fence and looked Ren in the eyes. He stated: "You know, maybe you and I do have another thing in common, outside of always losing ourselves in our own thoughts. It sounds weird, but I feel like we are destined for something big that is about to happen." Ren looked puzzled, as he saw Shawn's face wearing a dead serious expression. Then, only a few seconds later, Shawn's face shifted from serious to something more joyfull. "I completely forgot, we have yet to eat lunch. Be sure to tell me about your story while we eat, you got me curious."

As Ren started telling his story, Shawn stayed quiet, putting the pieces together in his head. When Ren was done, Shawn stayed quiet, his face revealing small hints of dread. Ren noticed, but this time, Shawn didn't care to hide it.

"Hey, Shawn, why do you seem so angry?" Ren asked. Shawn replied with one sentence that stuck with Ren for the rest of the day:

"Because I believe I know the woman that you tried to save."

Before the teens broke their silence on their own terms again, the door of the rooftop opened up, revealing a face that Ren didn't know yet, but Shawn looked past her, checking if there was someone else behind her.

"Oh, my apoligies, am I intruding on a private matter?" the girl asked to Shawn.

"Not really, but what business do you have up here, Makoto?" Shawn returned the question.

"Oh, nothing much, I simply wanted to bring your attention to something. And I couldn't find you anywhere in the school, so I figured you were up here. Didn't expect you to have company though. You have never really been that approachable and-"

"Shut up." Shawn cut off Makoto's words. "What is it you wanted to discuss?"

"Well," Makoto started, "it concerns the new honor student, and that new transfer student. It is rather important, so I'd like your friend here to leave us alone."

"Hold on a second," Ren replied, "when you meant THAT new transfer student, are you talking about me?"

Makoto looked confused for a second, then replied: "Oh, I see, so you are Ren Amamiya. Pleased to meet you, my name is Makoto Nijima, third-year and Student Council President. Now then, I have some things to discuss with Shawn, so I'll ask it nicely once more: Could you please leave us alone to talk?"

Shawn shook his head. "Sorry Ren, but the Student Council is not allowed to discuss these matters with other students closeby. We will talk later today, don't worry about it. I'll make sure Makoto doesn't get any weird ideas."

Grinning at Shawn's words, Ren left the rooftop, only to be greeted by another familiar face. "Oh, Senpai, what a coincidence!"

After class, which Ren did not pay attention to at all, he went out to the school gate, where he found Ryuji waiting for him. After Ryuji messed around with his phone, they found their way into the castle again.

Only this time, when they entered, a creature stood on the drawbridge. Someone, or rather, something, covered in a bloody, ragged coat with rusted chains keeping the patches of cloth together. On his belt was a pistol with a huge barrel, almost covering the length of the creatures' leg. In the left hand, it held a metal Kopesh, which had surely seen a ton of battle, Ren thought, as it was even more bloodied than the coat.

But what called out to Ren and Ryuji the most, was the creatures' right hand, and after looking at it for a few seconds, Ryuji yelled, and fell to the ground in fear. Ren shuddered at what he saw. An arm of bone, with red magic around it, giving it form that seemed like a regular arm.

Hearing Ryuji's scream, the creature turned around. Ryuji was scared out of his mind, almost fainting at the sight. Ren felt Arsène stirring within him, and grabbed his dagger to fight the creature if necessary. The creature drew its blade into a position that could kill Ren if it dashed forward.

Ren took a deep breath. Only to realise the blade was already on his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The creatures' clothes are meant to represent that of the Reaper.  
> Why? You tell me.
> 
> Huge thanks to Dev0ted for proof-reading and giving me tips to improve my writing. Be sure to check out his fic, The Wish for Control  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24510076/chapters/59167783
> 
> Also a massive thanks to Sunsethours (though I have come to know him as Tharon) for being a good inspiration for my writing in terms of character interaction. Be sure to check out his fic, Joker on Ice  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013726/chapters/57772423


	2. Bloodbath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infiltration of Kamoshida's castle starts today. Or at least, that was the plan...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am never doing this special text thing ever again. I hate myself for doing it.
> 
> Big thanks to the Kasumi discord and Dev0ted in particular for proof-reading this chapter. His fic, The Wish for Control, can be found here:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24510076/chapters/59167783

Ren barely felt his body. A khopesh was on his neck, and with one twist of its wrist, he would be done for. Ryuji passed out, too scared to even look at what happened. The creature did not move. To Ren, it looked like it didn’t even breathe. Just what was he dealing with here?

Ren was the first to talk. “Who are you?”

The creature looked at him, and Ren became even more terrified. It had no face to speak of. Just a black void, with sharp red eyes finding their way to his own. He didn’t process it all in time, as the creature floored Ren and put his back to the ground.

Ren asked the same thing as before. “Who .. are you?”

The creature began to speak. Although, Ren didn’t think of it as speaking. More so a terrifying ghost you would only find in horror movies, distorted beyond recognition of a human voice.

“ **I** _ha_ ** _ve_** n **o** na _m_ ** _e._** ”

“Well, if you don’t even know who you are, then why are you here, keeping me against the floor!” Ren yelled back at the creature. It wasn’t a smart move, as the creature moved down and placed its blade around Ren’s neck again.

“ _W_ _h_ **o** **a** r _e_ _y_ o ** _u_** **,** ** _m_** an **ch** _il_ d?”

“My- My name is Ren Amamiya, from Shujin Academy, 2nd year student, I-”

Before Ren could even finish his sentence, the creature backed away a few steps. Ren, still wounded from being pushed to the ground, stood up in pain and looked at the creature. It showed no sign of regret or mercy, but it seemed like something piqued its interest.

“ _S_ ** _o_** y ** _o_** _u_ **_a_** **r** e **_t_** _h_ **e** o _n_ **e** **_t_** _h_ a ** _t_** **_c_** ** _a_** u ** _s_** _e_ d _t_ h _e_ **s** _h_ _a_ **d** ow **s** **_t_** **o** _g_ ** _o_** **w** il **d** **.** H ** _a_** **,** **y** o _u_ _g_ **o** **t** ** _t_** _h_ e **m** **_g_** o ** _o_** _d_ y _e_ _s_ **t** e **r** **d** a ** _y_** ”. The creature seemed pleased, but Ren didn’t understand why it would be happy about more security and shadows that could mean death.

“So uhm, why exactly are you happy about that?” Ren asked, showing a little bit of fear on his face.

**“** ** _W_** h _a_ **t** _d_ **o** _y_ o ** _u_** _t_ _h_ ** _i_** n **k** **?** Bl **o** ** _o_** d **s** _he_ **d** **,** ** _a_** _n_ **d** ** _f_** r ** _e_** _s_ h **, d** e _s_ ** _p_** **e** **r** _a_ _t_ _e_ **s** _o_ ** _u_** ls _o_ **f** _c_ **o** ** _u_** _r_ s **e** **!”**

‘Oh, great.’ Ren’s mind started shifting gears again. ‘So now I’m dealing with some sort of lunatic that loves killing everything that moves. I suppose this world holds infinite surprises for me.’

“Sorry to ask, but what exactly do those souls contain? Why do you want to collect them?” Ren asked, while his head kept thinking onward like a computer which had too many inputs to process

“ ** _P_** **e** rh **a** ** _ps_** s ** _h_** ow ** _i_** ** _n_** **g** ** _y_** _o_ **u** i ** _s_** _b_ **e** _tt_ ** _e_** **r** **t** h ** _a_** ** _n_** **t** e _l_ ** _l_** ** _i_** n ** _g_** **. P** r ** _e_** ** _p_** **a** _r_ e _y_ o **u** ** _r_** _s_ e ** _l_** **f** **!** ” the creature howled back at Ren, and before he knew, the ground around him started to crumble, as the creature latched outwards with its khopesh, creating a tether towards Ren, and something that felt akin to his awakening, his soul started burning. Arsène grew wary, and Ren’s attire changed into that of the rebel.

“ _N_ o ** _w_** **,** no ** _b_** **o** _d_ **y** s _h_ **a** ** _l_** l _i_ **n** ter **r** **u** pt **_u_** s **_a_** n _y_ _f_ **u** r _t_ _h_ **e** ** _r_** **.** **T** **h** _i_ s _i_ **s** **o** ** _u_** r **a** ** _r_** _e_ n **a** **, w** ** _h_** e _r_ **e** **_w_** e **_s_** ha ** _l_** **l** f ** _i_** ** _g_** ht u **n** **t** _i_ _l_ t ** _he_** **_e_** n **d** _o_ **f t** ** _i_** _m_ e **s!** ” the creature seemed excited as it moved towards Ren, shouting two simple words: “F _a_ ** _c_** **e** **_m_** e **!** ”

“Arsène!” Ren yelled while ripping off his mask, creating a giant blue flame behind him from which the gentleman thief appeared. “Eiha!”

Arsène focussed its energy below the creature, and as soon as he felt the time was right, Ren clamped his fist, a pillar of cursed energy shot out from underneath.

Ren looked up from the smoke, but the creature simply stood still, seeming completely unharmed. ‘Either he is playing tough or really is invincible. Let’s hope it’s the former.’ Ren thought.

“Arsène!” Ren yelled again. “Ravage them!” Arsène followed Ren’s command and used Cleave, which had effect, as the creature had to rebalance itself, even though only for a split second. ‘Damn, just how tough is this thing?’ Ren started to become a little anxious.

“F **o** ** _r_** **y** _o_ _u_ r **_e_** _x_ p **er** _i_ **e** ** _nc_** e **,** _y_ _o_ **u** _i_ **mp** ** _r_** _e_ s **s** **m** _e_ **,** h **u** _m_ _a_ **n!** W **h** _il_ **e** y **o** _u_ ** _r_** po **w** ** _e_** ** _r_** _i_ **s** **l** **a** c _k_ ** _i_** n **g,** ** _y_** _o_ u **r** **p** **r** _ec_ _i_ **s** ** _i_** on **_i_** s s _o_ ** _m_** **e** _t_ ** _h_** _i_ n **g** _t_ ** _o_** b ** _e_** _h_ ol **d** **.** ”

Ren immediately grasped his dagger, while Arsène turned back into his mask. He rushed forward towards the creature, ready to slice it to a million pieces. The creature was not planning on leaving itself open though, and too grabbed its blade. Ren’s strikes got parried in a flurry, but he noticed a small flaw in his opponents’ stance. The very first chance he got, he summoned Arsène and commanded it to use Cleave once again. It hit, right in the creatures’ left leg, which made it lose balance and fell to its knee briefly.

“Now, Eiha, once again!” Ren shouted as Arsène gathered energy below his foe, ready to unleash it once again. “GO!” was Ren’s command.

The creature chuckled, quickly standing up after getting hit by the attack. Ren realised that the curse attack he just fired did not deal any damage. Instead, it seemed to only strengthen his opponent.

‘So curse attacks are a no-go, at least I know that much now.’ Ren’s mind started thinking, ‘But for whatever reason, it seems to be weak to physical strikes. Maybe because its body lacks solid fo-’

Ren cut his thoughts short. He had to focus on the task before him as the creature was out of his eyesight.

“Yo **u** ** _r_** **m** _i_ **n** _d_ _i_ **s** y **o** _u_ _n_ **g** ** _a_** ** _n_** d **_f_** ra **g** _i_ _l_ **e** **,** ** _p_** ro ** _t_** **e** c ** _t_** _i_ **t,** ** _n_** ** _o_** w **!** ” The creatures’ voice echoed through the area, and after hearing it, Ren looked upwards. What he saw gave him chills, more than he had experienced when the police arrested him. A giant persona was standing behind the creature, while it was flying above Ren with black wings coming out of its suit.

“R **A** _U_ ** _M_** **!** ” the creature shouted, “ **S** _h_ ** _o_** **w** t _h_ _i_ **s** _h_ **u** m _a_ ** _n_** _o_ _u_ **r** **_t_** **e** rr ** _o_** ** _r_** **! A** B **YS** _SA_ **L** E ** _Y_** ** _E_** **!** ”

Even though Ren guarded against the countless eyes that stared him to death, literally, he still fell to his knees, drained of any energy that was left in his body. The giant raven-shaped persona disappeared and the creature landed before Ren, holding out its normal hand. Ren took it, and stood back up, even though he was severely weakened.

“ _D_ **o** **y** _ou_ fe **e** _l_ _i_ **t** ** _n_** o ** _w_** **,** ma **n** **c** **h** _i_ **l** **d?** T ** _h_** _e_ **_a_** _n_ g ** _e_** **r** **,** t _h_ ** _e_** r _a_ **g** ** _e_** **,** t ** _h_** ** _e_** _e_ _n_ **e** _rg_ **y** _c_ _o_ **m** _i_ **n** g f ** _ro_** ** _m_** **_y_** o **u** r _s_ o **u** _l_ _a_ **s** _y_ o **u f** _i_ g **h** ** _t_** **?** T ** _h_** _a_ **t** _fe_ **e** _l_ **i** _n_ g **,** _t_ h ** _a_** **t** _t_ h **r** _i_ **l** ** _l_** **,** t ** _h_** _a_ t fe **e** **l** _i_ **n** g **_t_** h **a** ** _t_** _y_ **o** ** _u_** a _r_ **e a** l _i_ **v** **e** **,** _i_ **s** w **h** at _I_ a ** _m_** **_a_** _f_ _t_ **e** ** _r_** **.** ”

Ren surely did feel something, but it was not anger, rage, thrill or the feeling of being alive. He felt like he could collapse any moment. As he was about to fall to his knee, the creature spoke once again.

“ **H** ** _u_** _m_ _a_ n **.** ** _O_** r r **a** ** _t_** _h_ e **r,** R ** _e_** ** _n_** **.** ” the creature started. “ _Y_ o ** _u_** **r** s **k** _i_ **l** _l_ _i_ **s** _i_ **m** pr ** _e_** s **s** _i_ **v** **e** **. A** l ** _l_** **o** _w_ **m** e _t_ **o** ** _o_** _b_ **se** **r** _ve_ y ** _o_** ** _u_** r **g** **r** **o** ** _w_** _t_ h **.** ”

“Observe..? Are you someone that was sent here by Igor?” Ren asked, still trying to calm his thoughts.

The creature shook its head. “ _I_ **a** _m_ **s** _i_ m **p** _l_ y _o_ _n_ **e** ** _w_** h ** _o_** **_f_** **e** e _d_ **s** _o_ **n** s **o** **u** _l_ s o _f_ **_t_** h **e** l _i_ **v** _i_ **n** g _i_ **n** t **h** _i_ **s** _w_ ** _o_** rl **d** **.** A _n_ ** _d_** **_yo_** u **,** y **o** ** _un_** g o ** _ne_** **,** ha ** _v_** **e** **p** _i_ **q** ** _u_** _ed_ **m** _y_ _i_ **nt** ** _e_** _r_ es **t** **.** ”

Ren was really confused. ‘So first he almost beats me to death and then offers me his help? What the hell.’ His mind just could not make sense of it all.

“ ** _Y_** o **u p** _l_ ** _a_** **n** ** _o_** n **g** _o_ _i_ **n** g _f_ u ** _r_** **t** h _e_ **r** **,** ** _y_** ** _e_** s **?** _L_ **e** ** _t_** _m_ **e** s ** _h_** o ** _w_** **y** o _u_ _t_ h **e** ** _p_** **ro** _pe_ **r w** a ** _y_** _t_ **o k** _i_ **l** _l_ h ** _e_** **r** e **.** ” The creature said, followed by a scary chuckle.

“And what exactly would you want from me, uhh?” Ren wanted to call the creature by its name, but he remembered it had none.

“C **a** ** _l_** l m ** _e_** w _h_ **a** ** _t_** ev ** _er_** **.** ”  
  
“Oooh, gotta be something cool and dark, ‘cuz of your clothes man!”

Ren turned around, seeing Ryuji standing behind him, energetic as always.   
  
“Weren’t you unconscious like 3 minutes ago?” Ren asked his blond friend. “And judging by your clothes, you pis-”   
  
“Hey shut up, ya didn’t need to mention that.” Ryuji quickly cut off Ren’s words. “Anyway, what I was saying, your name should be the same of some super demon lord, ya catch me?”

“So something like Hades then?” Ren suggested.

“Damn, that sounds awesome!!” Ryuji sounded as excited as ever. Ren shrugged it off as he knew Ryuji had no god damn idea about who Hades was.

Ren turned around, facing the creature again, and spoke to it. “So, Hades, what exactly do you propose?”

Hades gave a small, terrifying chuckle, and then answered: “ **Q** **u** _it_ **e** **s** _i_ mp **l** ** _e_** **,** re **a** _ll_ **y.** ** _Y_** _o_ u **k** _il_ **l t** _h_ ** _e_** **_s_** _h_ **a** **d** _ow_ **s** s **t** ** _a_** n **d** _i_ **n** ** _g_** _i_ **n** ** _y_** o _u_ ** _r_** w **a** ** _y_** **, a** n ** _d_** _I_ **’** _l_ **l** _t_ ** _a_** _k_ **e** **t** **h** _e_ _i_ **r** s _o_ u ** _l_** ** _s_** **.** _I_ **n** _r_ e ** _t_** _u_ ** _r_** **n** **,** _I_ **’** _l_ **l** **p** r ** _o_** ** _te_** **c** **t** y _o_ **u** **_a_** s y **o** ** _u_** **_m_** ak ** _e_** y _o_ **u** ** _r_** _w_ ** _a_** **y** ** _a_** **r** o _u_ **n** ** _d_** _t_ **h** _i_ **s** w **o** _r_ ** _l_** **d** **.** _D_ **o** _e_ ** _s_** **_t_** _h_ a _t_ s **o** ** _u_** n _d_ _i_ **n** ** _t_** _e_ _r_ **e** s **t** _i_ **n** g _t_ **o** ** _y_** o **u?** ”

Ren had a simple reply: “Sure. That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Hades laughed again, this time even more terrifying than before. “ ** _S_** o **,** w ** _e_** **h** **a** _v_ _e_ **o** u ** _rs_** **e** _l_ **v** e **s** **_a_** **d** e **a** _l_ _t_ ** _h_** **e** n **.** ”

When Ren shook the creatures’ hand to seal their deal, time stopped around him once again, the same way it did before at lunch.

  
  


_ I am Thou, and Thou, Thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new bond. _

_ It shall become a vital part in thine path towards the end of times, revealing the secrets hidden in the stars. _

_ With the birth of the Tyrant Persona, I have obtained a shard of the truth and dread from your soul, and shall carry it with me, always… _

  
  


As Ren sealed the deal with Hades, he noticed the heavily distorted voice was now much clearer to him, no longer as terrifying and inhumane as before, but still sending chills down his spine whenever he heard it.

“ **Now, let me grant you a skill that will benefit you, Ren.** ” Hades chuckled as he put his bone hand on Ren’s chest, injecting his dark magic into Ren’s soul. “ **This will allow you to tear a rift in space, so no-one can interfere with your battles, other than me, of course.** ”   
  
‘Ah, so no more surprise demons jumping on my back while I’m busy. Nice.’ Ren’s mind finally calmed down a bit. He then faced Hades, who was just about done with his sorcery.

“Before we part then, may I ask you something?”

Hades simply nodded at him, while Ryuji got curious about what Ren was up to.

“You said you didn’t have a name, correct? But do you have a human name, or a name behind the void that is your face?” Ren really pressed his question onto the demon, but it didn’t even flinch as Ren was almost talking directly in its face. “Shawn, are you sure you are telling me everything?”

Hades simply shrugged. Then it replied: “ **I have no knowledge on such a name, Ren. No humans come here, and you saw who I am. So this ‘Shawn’ person is not me. I can assure you that much.** ”

Ren looked over to Ryuji who wore a very disappointed expression. He probably thought Ren would ask about how to pull out such a massive persona, or gain such an incredibly cool suit.

After Hades fully gave Ren his ability, the group heard a rather familiar voice coming out from the castle gates. “Hey, you guys are being way too loud! Do you want the shadows to come over here and tear you apart?”   
  
Hades quickly faded into nothingness as Morgana appeared before the two teens, and from that moment, that icy gaze fell over the future Phantom Thieves whenever they were moving into the metaverse.

  
  


The investigation went about as smooth as the teens could have hoped for. Morgana taught Ren proper combat and Ryuji’s gun came in handy, as they made their way back after Ryuji memorized the faces of the abused athletes.

Only this time, as they made their way through the central hallway, they faced Kamoshida with an escort of what looked like powerful shadows. Ren and Morgana immediately stood in front of Ryuji, prepared to defend him. The shadows transformed, revealing two Bicorn and Eligor, ready to charge at the thieves.

After Ren and Morgana were properly beaten to a pulp and floored by the guards, Kamoshida turned to Ryuji. “So, you want to stand against me, and yet you do not even have a single muscle to raise. Man, simply killing you won’t do. I’ll just have to keep you alive, and torture you until the crows don’t even want to eat your rotting body!”

A guard lifted up Ryuji, hand on his neck, just as the day before. Only this time, before anyone could act, a gunshot was fired, and the sound echoed through the hallway.

It missed the guard, Ren clearly saw it, but it looked way too well-aimed for a missed shot. The sound of cracking bones and flowing blood could clearly be heard. Ryuji fell to the ground, the back of his skull shattered.

As the bullet broke Ryuji’s skull, a weird black fog went straight into his head, blacking out his eyes and prohibiting him to speak.

“ **Stand up, will you? It is such a pity watching you, show me what power that head of yours holds! Confine this scumbag to hell at your own leisure!** ”

As the shadow left Ryuji’s skull, a voice rang through his head, and shortly after, a persona stood behind him, revealing itself as Captain Kidd, but the power it emanated was rather different than what Ren felt coming from himself and Morgana. Almost as if this persona was not meant to exist yet.

“Yo perv, you said you wanted some torture in this place? Well, ya just had to ask!” Ryuji exclaimed, rearing his body into a stance that showed every single muscle, and the guards took notice, as they left Ren and Morgana alone, transforming into their battle forms once again.

“Hey Ren,” Morgana whispered to his companion, “This doesn’t feel good. The power that persona is showing isn’t normal. As if someone evoked it out of him.”

And then it all made sense. He heard a terrifying chuckle in his head, and the Tyrant Arcana started to rumble in his heart. Ren knew it. Hades gave Ryuji power he could not control yet.

“ **Do not worry, he simply hasn’t sorted out his emotions yet. Let him have this bloodbath and all will return to normal.** ” Hades almost laughed at this point, and Ren wasn’t having any of it.

‘So he has the power to evoke people and grant them strength past their own limits of control? The way Ryuji is acting right now, it’s almost as if he has a psychotic breakdown, not being able to control himself and being filled with pure hatred for Kamoshida.’ Ren scared himself to death with his own thoughts, and Morgana noticed, quickly snapping him back to reality.

“Hey, quit your thinking and start fighting instead, will you rookie?”

Ren nodded, and commanded Ryuji to attack the Bicorn with Zio, which to his surprise, Ryuji did, but the power that the persona was fighting with far eclipsed that of both his own and Morgana’s. Then, when the two horse-like creatures were dead, Ryuji turned himself to Eligor, rushing towards it while Ren tried to reason with him.

It was no use. Morgana could not keep up with his healing as Ryuji simply took way too much damage, and after a few minutes, he fell to the ground, exhausted and unconscious. Ren quickly looked at Morgana, who had also fallen due to the mental fatigue he endured in his efforts to heal Ryuji.

Ren could only feel anger right now. Not at his opponent. Not at Kamoshida either. He was furious to the creature, now standing behind him, as its distorted laugh filled the hallway.

“ **Well, since they cannot, why don’t we finish this business and get you out of here, hmm?** ” Ren looked at Hades, who drew its pistol, aiming at the shadow before them. “ **Those** **attacks** **the** **cat** **taught** **you** **were** **stylish** **,** **but** **lack** **power** **.** **Let** **me** **show** **you** **,** **the** **other way around!** **!** ” Hades pulled the trigger as another bullet fired from its gun, creating a pool of blood beneath Eligor, causing its horse to fall to its knees, and Hades grabbed its Khopesh as he signaled Ren to follow it.

As the two initiated their all-out attack, Ren noticed something about himself changing. His blood was boiling; he wanted to see the shadow die in anguish and only wanted to smell the iron of the blood it would pour out of its wounds. His cuts were precise, but nothing compared to the horrific wounds Hades inflicted. As the two were about to finish, Hades fell back, and raised his magical arm, as it held a blue orb slightly floating above it.

“ **Good night, weakling** **!** ” Hades roared as it clenched its magical hand, destroying the soul of the shadow, and causing blood to erupt from the wounds it inflicted.

Ren watched both in horror and satisfaction. ‘Why am I enjoying this?’ his head really started to hurt badly, as he looked towards Hades, who looked satisfied with the end result. ‘Is this power truly something we want ourselves to be allied with?’

Kamoshida wanted to comment on the sight he saw, but unfortunately for him, he was unconscious on the floor, with a girl in a bikini kneeled besides him, crying.

Ren looked to his teammates, who got up from the ground. Morgana was simply exhausted, but Ren didn’t care for him at the moment. He sprinted towards Ryuji and helped him stand up.

“Man, this persona thing really is awesome huh?” Ryuji was panting out loud. “But I dunno what just happened. All my mind was thinking was ‘kill’. Crazy shit, lemme tell you.”

Ren shook his head and turned around, only to realise Hades was gone. Ren couldn’t feel his presence either, and yet his body couldn’t stop trembling.

“Hey! Are you guys planning on moving or what?!” Morgana was back on his legs, yelling at the two teens as Ryuji let go of Ren’s shoulder, standing on his own again.

“Okay, so I know I’m not the smartest ‘round here, but please, listen to me for once.” Ren looked at Ryuji, very confused. Ryuji was not one to say smart thi-

“PLEASE LET’S JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!”

  
  
  


The trio ran to their self-made entrance, and quickly made their way outside. While Morgana was left behind and Ryuji ran to the exit, Ren was called out by a rather familiar voice.

“This way, inmate. Our Master wants to speak with you.”

Ren turned around to see a blue, hazy cell door, with Justine standing outside. Seeing as it probably would not do harm, he entered, and a few seconds later he woke up in the Velvet Room, where Igor had told him his destiny two days prior.

“Ah, so we meet again. Welcome back to the Velvet Room. Are you getting accustomed to this place?” Igor’s greeting sounded rather friendly, something Ren was really happy about after all the darkness his head went through these past few hours.

“I’d say so.” Ren replied. While Justine nodded in what seemed like happiness, Caroline didn’t take kindly to his words.

“Is THAT the tone you are having with our Master, inmate? You really need to learn some respect, and I’ll drill it into your skull if I have to!”

“Now now, there is no need for that,” Igor called out to his assistant, who quickly fell silent. “But I wanted to discuss something rather abnormal that happened today. You formed bonds with strange beings. They gave you power that should not exist in this world. Almost as if it was not meant to be here at all.”

“Oh, do you mean Shawn and Hades? Having them trust me somehow gave me a surge of power, or so it felt at least.” Ren replied, trying to answer Igor’s strange statement.

“Why yes, I do mean those two, but what is weird is that the vows you made, to the Holy Knight and the Cursed Tyrant, have no place in the Arcana. How curious.” Igor stated.

“By the way,” Ren started, “Is it possible for Shawn and Hades to be the same person? I mean, Shawn knows way too much of this whole situation to call it either luck or pure coincidence, and Hades feels way to familiar.”

“Trickster, whether you think of it as a relief or a concern, it is not as you think. No one person can wield two Arcana’s at the same time.” Igor grinned, as if almost laughing at Ren for not knowing such basic information. “You are simply thinking too much of the situation. Wrapping your head around it will only end in endless thoughts.”

“So, you are doubting me now? The hell do you mea-”

Ren couldn’t even finish his statement before Caroline almost broke the cell bars due to the incredible strength she smashed them with. “INMATE, SHUT UP AND LISTEN. YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO TALK!”

Justine looked disappointed at Ren as well. “Inmate, we wish to aid you through all of what you experienced earlier today, and yet, this is how you treat us. We’d rather have the politeness you showed your friends today.”

Igor simply laughed at the scene. “Trickster, these bonds, no matter which form they take, are to be treasured. Please nurture them further, and it will transform into power. You should be prepared to use myself as well, so do as you see fit.” As soon as Igor finished his words, time stopped once again, but this time, it felt completely different. Almost as if he was in a sea of souls this time, rather than in chains, feeding him power.

  
  


_ I am Thou, Thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_ It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. _

_ With the birth of the Fool persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…. _

  
  


As Ren’s mind returned to his head, Igor told him: “Now, it is your time. You, and only you, have the power to save the world from ruin. Now go, and show the world what you are made of.” He finished his words with a small chuckle.

And with that said, Caroline smashed Ren’s cell door once again. “Now, it is also time for you to get the hell out of here and go train yourself. Do not ignore our Master’s words or I will make you regret it, inmate!”

Ren fell asleep on his bed, and as soon as he could see his surroundings again, he rushed towards the exit of the castle. All the while the icy glare grinned at the ordeal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raum is one of the 72 demons of Goetia. It is a Great Earl of Hell, in command of 30 legions of spirits. It has the ability to see past, present and future. It can also teach humans the way to find their true inner strength, to stand up against guaranteed defeat. Raum is also known to steal treasures, granting him knowledge about the owner. Lastly, it has the ability to evoke love into any couple, no matter if they are allies or enemies. All of this made me realise it was the perfect persona for the character of Hades.


	3. Pain in the ass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you mean, I haven't uploaded anything in a month? My work ethic isn't terrible at all.

April 13th, 20XX

Ren was enjoying the early spring warmth on station square. He took a train too early by accident, but it gave him some time to calm himself about what all happened yesterday. Hades, Ryuji’s awakening and the abused students…

His thoughts got interrupted by a loud yawn he heard behind him. Turning around, he saw Shawn, messy hair and a dead look in his eyes. “Good morning, Shawn.” Ren started. “Now what were you up to last night? You look rather dead at the moment.”

It took Shawn a good few seconds to realise Ren was talking to him. When he noticed, he replied: “Book about Norse Mythology. Casual interest of mine.” Before Ren could answer, Shawn waved his hand, signalling Ren to come with him. “Come on, the train isn’t going to wait.”

Shawn quickly fixed his messy hair on the train, while Ren was staring at his messages. Looked like Ryuji tried to contact him this morning. He wanted to meet up before the rally began. ‘Volleyball rally, huh? I wonder what it will be like.’ Ren was deeply lost in thought until a familiar voice broke the silence.

“Oh, Senpai, what a coincidence! How are you feeling today?” Kasumi walked up to the two elder teens, happy and upbeat as always. “You seemed pretty tired yesterday when you left school. And at such a late time too. Did something happen?”

‘Shit, is she onto us?’ Ren’s face showed some anxiety, which Kasumi most definitely noticed, as she was even more curious now. “Oh that,” Ren tried to reply as innocent as possible, quickly neutralizing his face. “Nah, a friend of mine showed me around the area, but it was a lot bigger than I expected, so I forgot to pack some extra food with me.”

Before Kasumi could even respond at how bad Ren’s lie was, Shawn spoke up. “So, you are Yoshizawa, correct? 1st year honor student with specialty in Gymnastics. Allow me to welcome you to Shujin. My name is Shawn Hatasi, 3rd year honor student and student council member. Should you have questions or an issue, feel free to annoy me until I comply.”

“Oh, so Hatasi-Senpai then? Nice to meet you!” Kasumi gave Shawn a cute smile which he returned with a happy face himself, all the while Ren was almost trembling in his shoes. He had never met a girl this cute before. He wanted that smile for himself, and he would get it, no matter what.

“By the way,” Shawn started, “Are you two going to attend the volleyball rally? I personally don’t have to but I’ll go watch, just in case something interesting happens.” He looked at Ren, interested in his answer.

“I am sentenced to watching it, sadly. Mr. Blobfish said it would be a good opportunity to meet some people here, make some new friends and to not cause trouble. It has to be about that last part he only cares about though.” Ren said with a bored look on his face.

“Oh, then, mind if I join you, Hatasi-Senpai and Amamiya-Senpai? I’m very interested in seeing the team Mr. Kamoshida trained himself.” Kasumi sounded so innocent Ren felt bad for her and Shawn was almost going to vomit. “Though, I don’t know if first-years are even allowed to watch it. After all, there are currently no members from my year in the school-representative team.”

“Well, you have your honor status as an excuse, no?” Ren was not missing this chance. Any time he could spend with Kasumi, be it with or without friends, he would take. “I’m sure you can work something out. It starts after lunch, so we can meet up in the courtyard.” But as he said that, he recalled he would meet there with Ryuji to talk about the castle. ‘Shit’ was all his mind could say.

“Anyway,” Shawn began after exiting the train, “I have to wait for someone here. You two go hurry to school before you arrive too late, alright?” As Kasumi turned around to walk away, Shawn pulled Ren in and whispered something to him. Ren couldn’t quite catch it, but the two words he did hear were ‘Protect’ and ‘Kamoshida’. Ren assumed he was talking about Kasumi, and as he pointed at her, Shawn nodded and turned around, looking at the next train that would arrive on the platform. “Hm, 1 minute and 39 seconds late. Almost a new record.” he mumbled to himself, but Ren paid it no mind, as he just assumed it was another one of Shawn’s hobbies.

“Senpai, hurry up! We’re going to be late if you keep dreaming!” were the words that woke Ren up again, and he started walking towards the prison called Shujin Academy, with Kasumi next to him, chatting as gossip and rumors made their daily rounds. Kasumi seemed bothered by it, Ren certainly wasn’t anymore. He couldn’t care less.

“Oh, I’m sorry. They must be talking negatively about you because you’re walking with me. Let me apologize, Amamiya-senp-”

“No more of that ‘Amamiya-senpai’, it makes me feel like I’m a 50 year old here.” Ren’s voice sounded like he was both scolding and laughing, so Kasumi gave him a confused look. “I mean, just call me Ren, okay? I want to keep that last name crap at least a few years away from now.”

Kasumi looked almost disappointed after hearing Ren’s words, but quickly regained her posture. “Okay, then what about Ren-senpai? Then we both have our ways.” A smile grew on her face, and Ren couldn’t help but feel happy at the sight. 

‘Who would’ve known, huh?’ Ren thought, ‘Seeing a girl happy could make me so happy as well.’

As the duo reached the school gates, they found a few students blocking the entrance. Ren judged them as 3rd-years, seeing as how they were even taller than him. The biggest walked towards Ren, while Kasumi quickly hid behind him, scared of what was about to happen.

“Hey you, criminal!” the student spoke, or, well, it was as if he spoke into a microphone because it was clear the entire school could hear it. “Whatcha doin’ over there with the honor student? Out on a date or something?! That’s not good for her image, ya know! If the principal finds out, you will be out of here. Though, I guess that’s a win for everyone!”

Ren could feel Kasumi’s grasp on his shirt tighten, she clearly was afraid of what was happening. Keeping it in his mind, he looked up to face the student straight in his eyes. “What about it?” was his answer. Though, it was clearly not the right one, as the student broke into a laughter. ‘Damn,’ Ren thought, wanting to punch the wreck of the 3rd-year in front of him so badly, but knowing what the consequences of that course of action were.

“ **Why not though? Who the hell cares about the fact that you punched him? As long as no teachers or camera’s see it, nobody can have proof of your deeds.** ”

Ren was almost in shock. ‘Wait, so Hades can see through my eyes and speak to me via some sort of telepathy?’ His thoughts were cut short by the almost crying Kasumi, still behind him.

**“You know how much you hate to see that girl cry, idiot. Do something or your chances are on the line!”**

‘What, giving me dating advice now? Way to go, Mr. Psychopath. I should hire you as my personal therapist.’ Ren just wanted to do something, but the best thing he could do was just to answer Hades to make him stop talking nonsense. Where are actual helpful allies when you need them?

“Hey! What is this all about, Tarakana-san?!” Ren turned his head around, seeing Shawn together with another student. She had fluffy, brown-ish hair, but Ren didn’t pay it much mind. He had something else to attend to.

“How many times do we have to tell you that we don’t care about your petty little ‘Student Council this, Student Council that, Hatasi?! You aren’t in an anime, you don’t call the shots here!’” The bully moved past Ren to tower over Shawn, who was still shorter than him, despite him being taller than Ren. Kasumi shifted her position accordingly, and once she saw an opening, she sprinted into the school. Ren was honestly sad he couldn’t play the hero, but it didn’t matter right now.

**“Grr, if only I could just tear a rift into that world of yours and cut that moron down this instant!”** Hades was clearly pissed.

“You know that raising a fist at anyone here is not tolerated in any capacity, right? If you want a battle of words, bring it! You sure as hell will lose!” Shawn’s eyes were on fire.

Ren could feel his head split. Both Hades and Shawn were completely contradicting each other, while still wanting to accomplish the same thing.

His thoughts were interrupted when the fluffy-haired student made his way over to him. “I’m sorry you had to see that, these two can get pretty heated when it comes to situations like this.” The student gave him a smile, before gesturing him towards the front door. “Come, let's get to class before we get late. They will be at it for a while, so you shouldn’t bother waiting.”

Morning classes were boring. Though, this worked out in Ren’s favor as he wasn’t going to pay attention to them anyway. His thoughts were more focussed on the volleyball rally, wondering what it would be like. But he also noticed Ann in front of him being somewhat restless, wondering what she was up to.

After lunch time started, Ren changed into his gym clothes and made his way to the courtyard, where he saw Ryuji waiting for him. “Sup!” his friend exclaimed, “I’m seeing you are just as excited for this bullshit as I am huh?”

“I dunno, is that even remotely possible?” Ren chuckled and Ryuji joined him for a bit.

“Anyway, we gotta dig some dirt on Kamoshida today, we won’t get many other chances.” Ren was surprised at what Ryuji said, as he wasn’t really the type for thinking ahead. “All so we can get back at him for what saw at that castle, dammit!”

“Castle? You mean, as in, a castle Kamoshida owns?” Ren and Ryuji fell silent immediately. Shawn was looking at them, half confused, other half being busy with processing what he just heard.

Shit.

“Hey, dude, listen here.” Ryuji stood up, trying to be really intimidating. “If you think of even spattin’ out a single word to that bastard, I can’t make any promises about what I won’t do to you!”

Sadly for Ryuji, Shawn wasn’t really all that intimidated by it. Instead, he gave Ryuji an even more confused look. “What are you talking about? I hate that man all the same as you do, so why would I go tell him there is a way to show the world who he truly is?”

A thousand thoughts rushed into Ren’s head., realising what Shawn just said. He knew alright.

“And how exactly do you know about that?” Ren began. “So you truly are that monster inside of that world, huh? Explain!”

“Stop shouting idiots!” Shawn whispered under his breath, as the trio saw Kasumi enter the courtyard, meaning that she would join the conversation soon. “Let’s continue after we get this stupid rally over with.”

“Huh, Senpai, why do you all seem so agitated?” Kasumi couldn’t help but notice the angry face on Ryuji, Ren being lost in his own thoughts and Shawn showing a dark face, as if he just remembered something he didn’t want to. “I’m sorry if I interrupted something, I’ll come back later!” She immediately started to apologize, but stopped as Ren stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Never mind us, we have little lovers quarrel right here.” Ren chuckled lightly as Shawn groaned at the statement, with a loud facepalm following suit. Ryuji wanted to slap Ren’s head, but missed as he shifted slightly, causing him to only hit some loose air. All while Kasumi was confused as she had no idea if this was serious since all three had a different reaction.

“Way to go spread false rumors, Mr. Delinquent. I can see now why you have your record.” Shawn groaned once again while moving from his position against the wall. “Come on, we should get moving. Being late to the rally will only get us into more trouble.”

The four sat against the wall in the Gymnasium, watching as the teachers’ team was beating the students’ team to a pulp. Kasumi was looking with interest, Ryuji was almost asleep, Shawn was only focussed on Kamoshida while Ren looked around. His attention fell on a blonde girl with pigtails. Ren couldn’t quite make out what she was thinking. Either she was worried, sad, or just lost in her own thoughts.

“Senpai, don’t you think Mr. Kamoshida is playing a bit too good against the students?” Ren looked over at Kasumi, jolting back to reality as his endless thoughts about what Shawn said earlier quickly disappeared. “I mean, it’s almost as if he wants them to be humiliated at this point. Just look at how hard he is slamming those balls back at them.”

Ren hadn’t bothered to look at the game in front of him, but once he did, he immediately noticed how the students had trouble to even keep standing. After all, it would be a disaster if they actually collapsed, it would show them off as weak, not even being able to finish a game against a team of gym teachers after advancing to the national scale. Kamoshida’s grin looked innocent, though Ren wasn’t having any of it. That grin was surely hiding someth-

“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up will you!” Shawn gave Ryuji an elbow to his head from which he immediately woke up. “Sleeping is for nighttime. Not that either of us gets sleep at that time anyway.” Ryuji let out a yawn while stretching, hitting Ren’s glasses of his head while doing so.

“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up will you!” Ren mimicked Shawn’s words as he picked up his glasses. There was a small crack in the right glass, not that it mattered much anyway. After all, Ren didn’t need them to see properly anyway.

“Senpai, we should get that fixed right away. Let’s go together after school okay? I don’t have practice so I’m free if you are willing to go.” Kasumi kindly offered. Ren groaned. He wanted to accept, but he couldn’t. He already promised Ryuji to help collect information about the volleyball team and then there were Shawn’s words from earlier that he was still concerned about.

The rest of the rally and the day were boring. Mishima got knocked out and collecting information was a huge pain in Ren’s ass as Shawn wasn’t helping them. He had other stuff to do, Ren could only think what kind of facade he would put on. He knew something for sure.

As Ren was about to make his way to the roof, he noticed Shawn stepping outside of the student council room with an unhealthy amount of papers. Making his way over to him, Ren couldn’t help but look at what they contained. “Huh? Are we going to have some kind of school trip?”

Shawn’s head jolted upwards as he saw Ren standing beside him, looking at the papers. “Oh, these. Well, that is true. It won’t be for a long time but I’d rather get it over with as soon as possible. Paperwork really does a number on your sleep schedule, and on my coffee consumption.”

Ren heard some footsteps behind him and noticed Ryuji, still thinking about what Mishima said before he left. When he got closer, he spoke to Shawn in a lowered voice. “So, you gonna explain your words from lunch or are you leaving us to guessing?”

“Sounds like rooftop time to me. Come on, let’s go.”

  
  


“Oh, Haru-San, my apologies, are we here at a bad time?”

Haru turned around to see three male students looking at what she was doing. “Oh my, are we having a party up here?”

“Uhh, sorry to break it to you, but those plants on the left don’t look very much alive, just sayin’.” This statement was followed by a loud thud as Ryuji fell to the ground, Shawn retracting his hand back towards his pockets.

“Ignore him. We actually want to discuss something in private, so can we borrow this place?” Shawn asked, while looking at the plants Ryuji pointed out. He wasn’t much of a gardener himself, but sure knew those plants didn’t last.

“Yes, that’s fine, I was just done with my work here. Please excuse me.” Haru moved past Ryuji with a worrying look, as he still hadn’t stood back up from Shawn’s hit.

“So, care to explain?” Ren sounded as serious as he could once the door closed behind him. He wanted answers.

“Sure thing, where do you want me to start?” Shawn replied, causing Ren to flinch for a second.

‘Wait a sec, he wants me to tell him where to start? Just how much does he know?’ His mind started working in overdrive again, but it quickly calmed down when he heard Ryuji standing up, loud groaning accompanying it.

“Tell us first about how you know about the other world to begin with. The full story, do not exclude anything.”

“Well, that world you entered is most likely linked to Kamoshida, and from what I can tell, you use a phone app to enter. Can you show it to me?”

Ryuji pulled out his phone and opened the app with the red eyeball. Showing it to Shawn, he noticed a slight hint of surprise. Shawn quickly pulled out his own phone and looked at it, before showing it to Ren and Ryuji. “So the apps we have are the exact same, but why is yours white and gold?” Ren asked.

“I think it’s due to me having entered the world before, and what effect it had on my life.” Shawn paused for a second, almost as if trying to hold back tears. “My father was the one who showed that world to me. He said it was a groundbreaking place, where we could see people’s emotional wounds and mend them. I was amazed by it, and wanted to know more, learn how to use it properly, but the next day, the research he, his friend and another woman were working on was shut down out of nowhere.”

“Research?” Ren’s head shot up. “So people know about that world?”

“Yes and no.” Shawn let out a slight sigh of relief. “The research was never acknowledged by anyone. No institute or university wanted something to do with it. So the paper my father and his colleagues were working on is lost to time. At least, I still have the sticky notes he would plaster all over his room, but I refuse to show them to anyone. Who knows what would happen if they fell into the wrong hands.”

“Hol’ up a sec. You are constantly talking in past tense. Almost as if it all ended.” Ryuji pointed out, catching Ren and Shawn completely off guard.

“Well, I don’t wish to think about it too much these days. The shutdown caused my father a lot of pain, almost to the point of a depression so deep it could leave permanent emotional scars so badly it would drive to suicide.. My mother, brother and myself had to constantly pay attention to him, so he wouldn’t try anything stupid.” Shawn was almost crying at this point, but quickly wiped away his forming tears. “But don’t worry about it, he has moved on, as has everyone else in my family. I think I’m the only one who can still think fondly of his research. The joy it brought him when he explained it all to me and my brother, I will never forget it.”

“Damn, that’s quite a story, man. Sorry for digging it up.” Ryuji looked down at his feet, causing Ren to raise an eyebrow. Ryuji was clearly hiding something too.

“Let’s just call it a day, alright?” Ren spoke. “All of us have a lot on our mind. Let’s sleep on it.”

“Yeah, I believe that would be for the best. But one thing though: next time you are going in, notify me. I wish to see the place for myself.” Shawn spoke to Ren, a new determined flash in his eyes. “I’ll show the world that my father’s research was not just some fairytale. If it can change a person’s cognition for the better, we must use that to our advantage. We won’t let Kamoshida harm anyone anymore, got that?!”

“HELL YEAH!” Ryuji yelled, only to be smacked down to the ground once again. Shawn lowered his hand once again, the exact same way as before.

“Learn him some common sense and manners. He’s too loud.” Shawn chuckled as he moved to the door, and Ren gave him a smile in return.

“Let’s do this then. You, me and Ryuji!.” Ren said.

_ Knight Arcana, Rank 2! _

Shortly after, the door closed behind him, and Ryuji started to regain consciousness.

‘Damn, silencing people like that really is effective huh?’ Ren thought as he helped Ryuji back on his feet. ‘Shawn surely knows a lot about that world. Time to put it all to good use.’ He smirked, already plotting countless schemes.


End file.
